Little Foxes
This week, God impressed upon my heart to study examples in His word, of “little foxes.” Little foxes represent “little sins” that we sometimes think are “not so bad” but in reality they are leading to our downfall if we do not take them to God and let Him stop it. People generally never crumble in a day. When one falls it’s happened little by little over time usually. Satan knows just how to work and usually it isn’t a sonic blast at first, he chips away at us bit by bit. We are going on a fox hunt. Each person reading must hunt in his/her own “vineyard” or heart. Today It is my prayer that we can learn to recognize those little foxes and cast them out of our lives so that we can stay spiritually strong and walk as closely to our Father as possible God Bless You all.
Handout : Little Foxes
We will be taking our text from the Song of Solomon chapter 2 verse 15.
Song of Solomon 2:15 “Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.”
Foxes abounded in Judea. In Lamentations 5:18 we see a reference to foxes. Also In Ezekiel 13 we see reference to them. In Judges 15:4 we read that Samson caught three hundred foxes and used them to destroy many crops of the Philistines. The writer in Song of Solomon is using this symbolism to say that it’s the little things that destroy our relationships. It’s the little things that we allow to get between ourselves and God. Those little things can do the most damage.
Spurgeon writes this. “A little thorn may cause much suffering. A little cloud may hide the sun. Little Foxes spoil the vines; and little sins do mischief to the tender heart. These little sins burrow in the soul, and make it so full of that which is hateful to Christ that He will hold no comfortable fellowship and communion with us.”
These words hold much truth. He went on to write this:
“A way may be built up of little pebbles, as easily as of great stones. The sea is made of droops; the rocks are made of grains; and the sea which divides thee from Christ may be filled with the drops of thy little sins.”
The things that we allow to get in between ourselves and Christ we sometimes foolishly see them as small, insignificant, minor transgressions, but in reality, they are not small in God’s sight at all.
We are to glorify God with our lives by bearing much fruit.
John 15:8 “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.”
Jesus said in John 15:4-5 “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. He said “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”
Satan knows this and desires to cut children of God away from Christ. He desires to cut us away from The Vine, which is our source of strength and life. He uses the little foxes to nibble away until we are destroyed and spiritually dead.
It’s time that we go on a “fox hunt” in our own hearts and minds and do as it says in Song of Solomon, and take those little foxes that do so much damage.
We are going to be looking at examples of little foxes and I urge each one to search your own heart to see if any of these lurk in your life attempting to hinder your walk with Christ.
Little Foxes
1. Pride
This is a sly little fox, one with many disguises. It is arrogance, conceit, smugness, and self- importance. He is often seen clearly at a distance in our neighbor’s vineyard, but often overlooked in our own. God hates pride. Remember Satan’s downfall was over pride.
Isaiah 14:12-15 “ 12How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 15Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.”
God’s word instructs us to walk humbly before God.
Micah 6:8 “ 8He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”
Proverbs 16:5 “Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.”
If angels can fall over pride, be certain that we will too. We cannot allow pride to set into our hearts. If we do, the repercussions thereof are fatal to our spirit.
Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”
2. Disobedience
This little fox caused the fall of all of creation! Adam disobeyed God and ate of the forbidden fruit. To us this can seem minor, but to God it was huge. We all know how that Adam and Eve was driven out of the Garden of Eden and the earth was placed under a curse of sin because of the little fox known as disobedience.
Romans 5:19 “For as by ones man’s disobedience many were made sinners,”
Ephesians 5:6 “Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.”
1 Samuel 12:15 “But if ye will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall the hand of the LORD be against you, as it was against your fathers.”
Everything God tells us to do, and everything God says do not do, they are for a reason and we are to obey no matter how small or insignificant it may seem. Disobedience will put out the fire in our hearts and cause us to grow cold.
3. Lust of the Flesh
This little fox comes in many disguises as well. We know the “big” lusts of the flesh that we must avoid, but do we see all of them? Everything that our fleshly natures desire that go against the word of God is sin. Many times when we think about the lust of the flesh, we think of sexual immorality and certainly God’s word tells us over and over to abstain from this. However, the lust of the flesh is not only limited to that alone. Carnal lust is a fox that so many give so much room for in their vineyards and often without realizing it. It is a desire that we so unwisely allow to run wild, without restraint. Our flesh desires the things of this world. Our flesh natures desire to eat to drink and be merry instead of being about the Father’s business. Our flesh desires to listen to that song on the radio that “isn’t that bad.” Our flesh desires to watch that television show or movie that “only has one or two curse words that are not so bad, or only has one scene that might be a little risqué but so much.” Our flesh desires to stay and listen to that gossip about someone else. Our flesh desires to open our mouth and give our “two cents” about what is going on that makes us angry! Our flesh desires to be part of the “crowd” and stay and listen to that bad joke that we shouldn’t be hearing much less laughing at. Our flesh desires to read that book or article that is “ok for adults.” There are so many things that can come between us and God that we shrug off as “not so bad.” Oh beware beloved of those little foxes.
1 Thessalonians 4:4 “That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;”
The vessels are our bodies and minds, which are temples of the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 3:16-17 “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.”
We must die to self and take up our crosses and follow Christ. We are not our own anymore, we have been bought with a price. Christ paid our ransom and redeemed us with his own life, with his own blood.
Galatians 5:24-25 “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
Ephesians 4:22 “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind.”
Every action, every habit begins with a thought in the mind. Satan knows this and he has many tools to get those lustful, sinful desires into our minds in hopes that we will dwell on them and act in sin. I’ll write it again…Be ware, be ware child of God, of these little foxes that desire so much to spoil your vines.
We will stop here, but God willing will continue this lesson and our fox hunt next week as we study and recognize more of the “Little Foxes.” Remember, God is with His children. His Holy Spirit dwells in us at all times and we can do all things through Christ which is our strength. We can bind these foxes and give them to God so that we can walk more intimately with Him everyday.
Dear Righteous, Loving Father,
We bow before Your throne today to say thank You for Your spoken and written word. Thank You Father for giving us Your word so that we know how You want us to live. Father we thank You for Your love and Your mercy. We thank You for forgiving us when we have allowed the little foxes to come in to our vineyards and run free. Father we ask today that You help us to bind those things that seem so small but lead to destruction. Father help us to recognize those things in which You are not pleased, and purge them from us. Father we desire to live for You, to serve You. We desire to touch Your heart and to make You smile. Help us Father to ever walk closely to You and in Your ways. Thank You for Your Grace. Thank You for Your Son. We ask and pray in the name of Wonderful Jesus. Amen.
~*Cindygirl*~
August 26, 2018